Soft Night
by TheInternetGoblin
Summary: When someone is drunk texts you, shouldn't you be flattered that you're the one they are thinking of when their brain isn't even functioning properly? The same goes for midnight visits after a solid sleepless 64 hours.
1. Chapter 1

Soft Nights

The second the door scraped open against the floorboards Magnus jumped up and hurried towards the entrance, only just remembering to drop his wine glass on the edge of the coffee table, before Alec slouched through the door with the dented in bags under his eyes, carved there after days of sleeplessness and extra patrols, hued the same angry purple of the bruises on his knuckles.

Alec spoke dully, preempting Magnus' question, "There's no sign. He's just…gone." "I'm sorry." They faced each other. Alec kicked the door shut and leant against its closed frame, while Magnus watched with attentive eyes and loose arms, checking over for open wounds or blood while patiently waiting for Alec to summon the energy to come closer. He had learnt that, with Alec, it was much easier to wait for him to decide when to touch, to meet, to kiss, than take charge himself.

The light overhead flickered, the dying bulb straining for electricity, and Magnus took a moment to curse whatever shoddy electrician wired this building. He could of course use magic to fix it in an instant but it was the principle; he shouldn't have to use magic for such a mundane mistake. That excuse had been used many times over the years, he thought fondly, with varying degrees of success; one drunken night in the late December of 2003, he took a stand that he shouldn't have to wear a coat just because of this, quite frankly, ridiculous weather and proceeded to drag Catarina bar-hopping with him wearing just a pair of boxers and dress shoes. Even his magic couldn't shake off the cold that prickled him for two weeks after the incident, much to Catarina's mirth.

The light bulb flickered again and Magnus was pulled back to the present with Alec slumped and gazing with half lidded eyes. He was so tall that if Magnus could convince him to gell his hair upwards, it would brush the underside of the light just standing normally. Being with someone at least three inches taller than him was certainly a new experience for Magnus. Then again, dating someone like Alec was a totally new experience. Having Alec - this 6 foot 4, awkward, black clad Shadowhunter with muddy boots and mussed up hair - stand in his loft among the provocatively dimmed lights and velvet chaise lounge, strains of Tchaikovsky and pricey mahogany floors, taking up almost as much space as the rip off Michelangelo's David he bought a few months back from a dealer friend who promised, falsely, it was big enough to make a statement without taking up half of his apartment, should have been akin to a fire engine in the middle of an ice hockey arena; obviously not meant to be there. However Alec possessed an uncanny ability to melt into the shadows, watching eyes in a half visible silhouette, like prey always on the lookout and drawing as little attention to themselves as possible. It bothered Magnus - not that he would bring it up of course, he could just imagine how that conversation would go if he critiqued Alec's shying manner - that someone so light, so good with veins thick of angel blood, spend so much time in the dark.

"You look exhausted. Sit down."

Alec shuffled forward, pulling off his jacket and each boot as he moved and leaving them in a pile of string and leather next to the door, with an automatic air that reeked of familiarity and lit a small blushing fire in Magnus' chest, before plopping down on the couch and leaning back, eyes closed. Magnus curled up in the armchair opposite.

"How was your day?" Alec spoke, eyes still shut with a hoarse voice. Magnus ran his nails up and down the fringed cushion beside him, eyeing his wineglass and wished he'd had the vision to place it a little closer to his seat.

"Oh, not that interesting darling. A client payed me a 14th century spell book if I gave her a potion to grow a fish tail."

"Instead of legs?"

"Yeah, but only temporarily. She wanted to experience her childhood dream of being Ariel for the day. I even helped her put a red wig on."

"I don't even know who Ariel is."

At this point Alec's eyes had cracked open, and with a great rolling sigh he pulled himself upright, leaning his arms on his knees and looking at Magnus though drooping eyes.

"I'm guessing she's a mermaid?"

"A+. She is indeed."

Alec murmured a noise as a response, the gravelly tone sounding so much more pleasant to Magnus' ears than the faint blur of violin strings from his wall stereo. He snapped his fingers and the music vanished.

"Can you pass me my glass?"

Alec's eyes, thick with exhaustion, scanned the table and reached for Magnus's wine glass, half full with only the finest cabaret Sauvignon, leaning across to hand Magnus the glass. Magnus admired the juxtaposition; Alec's long fingers cracking with mud, nail bed's black and ragged, callouses rising a rough mountain range where his fingers met his palm, wrapped around the crystal stem of the wine glass; glinting, shaped and sleek and expensively flimsy. The rim as thin as a sheet of sugar paper - Magnus noticed Alec held it gingerly as if he was afraid it would shatter if he gripped it too tight.

Like the duality of their relationship, Magnus pondered. Alec - roughed and work weary, dirty and damaged from cleaning up everyone else's messes, embracing the filth that was hunting demons so others could stay squeaky clean, with Magnus carefully honed and precise to feed the allure of luxe and power his reputation was built on. This new thing between them, tender and fragile, with both of them scared to touch it in case it broke.

"That's one of my favourite glasses," Magnus spoke randomly as he wrapped his fingers around the base, the thought ejecting itself out his mouth before his brain even registered it, and frowned mentally. Being around Alec meant that facades weren't necessary or even possible but he'd grown so used to putting on an act, it was unnerving peeking behind his own curtain.

Alec gave him a strange look.

"Sentimental value?"

Magnus snorted,"No, I bought it three months ago at some Boston auction. It actually reminds me of myself. I mean, for one, it's gorgeous."

Magnus winked. Alec rolled his eyes.

"You're not a wine glass, Magnus."

"Aren't we all glasses of some sort in this cupboard of life?" Magnus waved his arm out grandly, knees curled under him. Alec bit back a smile. Magnus considered that a personal achievement.

"Yeah, okay." Alec scoffed, under his breath enough to be classed as a mutter but not low enough to be inaudible. Magnus found himself biting back his own smile.

"Anyway why did you come if you're so tired? I mean no offence sweetheart but you're bearing a startling resemblance to a zombie right now and I would have thought the institute would be holding you practically prisoner in this time of great chaos."

"It's fine, I'm used to working late." Alec looked up at Magnus with dark eyes, and Magnus slipped off the armchair, padding over to where Alec was and sat cross-legged, facing him. Alec raised an eyebrow.

"The distance between us was too far."

Magnus spoke seriously. Alec huffed out a chuckle, before turning round and leaning his back against Magnus, legs hanging off the edge of the sofa with his head nestled in the crook of Magnus's neck. Winding his arms around the warm expanse of Alec's chest, Magnus pressed a kiss to his thick mop of dark hair and leant back himself, resting his head flat so Alec was lying on top of him.

"I really wanted to see you."

Alec's breath tickled the side of Magnus's neck, his lips barely grazing the skin as he spoke soft as a whisper, and something in Magnus's stomach jumped.

"Well, I'm really glad you came. With everything going on, Jace and all, I'm not expecting to be top priority."

"Everything that's going on just makes me want to see you more really."

Magnus grinned at that, shifting under Alec so they were lying side by side, a hair's breath between their lips. He shimmied a little closer, one arm snaking under Alec's waist, covered by the thin t-shirt still leaking nighttime cold and Magnus considered offering to remove it himself but decided against it. Alec curled one leg under Magnus, a knee trapped between two others, one arm used as a pillow for another's head, one hand resting against the others chest, so entwined you couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. Magnus imagined if Alec blinked, he would feel his eyelashes tickle his cheek.

"I'm really glad about that too."

A corner of Alec's mouth pulled up like he was too tired to smile fully, and his eyes slipped closed, and Magnus wrapped his arms tighter around him, wishing he could absorb some of what Alec was dealing with, wishing he could lighten the burden even a little bit, but instead let Alec drift off within the protective circle of Magnus's body and pressed a soft kiss to Alec's forehead, lying patiently for sleep to overtake himself and they could both dream for a little while in peace.

 **Soo, first venture into these guys. If y'all want a continuation, tell me what you want! I'll write your dreams (to the best of my ability so be forgiving)**

 **Reviews inspire updates! Also thanks for reading my sweet sweet viewers, it's appreciated :* xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

Fog rose like dead air clouding the tops of the skyscrapers in early morning gloom, with the faint buzz of five am grogginess as the rest of the city lay sleeping mirroring Alec's same cotton-wool filled head after his first nights sleep in what feels like forever, matched with a crick in his neck from bending like a warmed spoon around Magnus last night, and slightly numb toes courtesy of bunching up on Magnus's sofa that was at least a head shorter than Alec and thus not exactly an ideal bed.

Alec stood, chewing the last bite of toast and facing down Magnus across the kitchen bench, who stood stubbornly with mussed up hair and a steaming mug of camomile tea, and stated slowly, "You did not sleep with Shakespeare."

Magnus sighed dramatically, "What else is Sonnet 20 about? I _inspired_ his sexual crisis." Magnus slammed his mug down and crossed his arms stubbornly, daring Alec to carry on this conversation with the slight smirk playing at the edge of his lips belying his amusement.

Alec dropped his head into his arms, leaning against the breakfast bar, and groaned out loud with frustration at Magnus's derisive chuckle.

"He didn't have a sexual crisis, Magnus! This was the fifteenth century, I mean- he had a _wife_!"

"So? Everyone had wives back then. You almost had a wife-" Magnus countered, giving Alec a knowing look that added on a silent 'and look how gay _you_ are,' before adding condescendingly, "-And you'll find many critics agree the fair youth group of-"

"There is no fair youth group, it's a collection!"

Magnus paused pointedly like an irritated schoolteacher, a look Alec had become alarmingly familiar with over their recent saga of debating exactly which great literary figures he'd actually slept with, and sighed before continuing with a flourish ,"-the fair youth group of sonnets is _direct_ evidence of his bisexuality."

Alec lifted his head from his hands.

"You- Magnus, you didn't sleep with Frida Khalo, you definitely didn't sleep with Marcus Aurelius and I _refuse_ to believe you slept with Shakespeare!"

"And why is that?" Magnus gave a twirl, faking innocent, "Don't I steal men's eyes and women's souls in amazement?"

"Well you certainly try." Alec muttered, and yelped when Magnus rapped his knuckles with his warm teaspoon, leaving smears of camomile down Alec's fingers.

"No unsolicited comments from the people I actually seduced, thank you very much." Magnus stepped with dignity, dropping his half empty mug into the sink and regaled his head towards the window where faint rays of morning roots had yet to penetrate the early morning November smog while Alec snorted derisively, "Shouldn't you be off hunting shadows by now anyway?"

"I'm meeting Isabelle in the village for morning patrol at half six."

"Still, I wouldn't trust the time keeping of the subway. Getting there for half six in the evening is a genuine possibility."

Alec smiled faintly, "She'll be thrilled if I'm late. I think she likes you more than me."

"I do possess an uncannily likeable charm, I admit." Magnus slunk over towards Alec, propping himself up on the bench by his elbows and fixing Alec with one of those looks that curled his insides in butterflies and stuttering words.

"Working all hours isn't going to help Jace, yknow," Magnus spoke gently, running his hand down Alec's arm while Alec stared off into the kitchen corner, focusing on the piled up sink to avoid meeting Magnus's eyes, "All you're doing is exhausting yourself. I know it's difficult but the ball is in Valentines court now."

Alec bit his lip, looking over out the window and trying to distract his brain from the utter helplessness of the entire situation. He knew if he stopped, even for a moment, then he'd drown.

Magnus waited for an answer before sighing, squeezing Alec's arm before letting go and padding back towards the bedroom with a yawn he quickly stifled, calling, "Well, I'm gonna grab a shower while I'm up."

Alec watched him leave; saw his slightly stooped shoulders, the tiredness laying heavily like concrete off his body, and felt a pinch of guilt. He doubted Magnus wanted to sleep cramped up on the couch or wake up to have breakfast at five am in the morning, but he hadn't complained and Alec wished, for just one day, they could have a lazy lie in, breakfast in bed, lounging across the sun warmed bed watching New York outside lit up with golden peach and sandy rays, the harbinger of a summer spent with no responsibilities, no worries and more free time together than they'd know what to do with.

Alas, it was dark into the dying year and sun was a rare sighting and every day seemed to bring a thousand new problems.

Rain drizzled down the window pane.

Alec scowled at the drops.

 _Talk about pathetic fallacy._

The grey duvet of sluggishly dissipating night clouds lit only by the occasional flickering street lamp to ensure the safety of people not awake enough to appreciate it seemed to mock Alec's similarly miserable mood.

He wasn't a stranger to stress- or grief, or sadness or worry for that matter. A million and one things constantly rocketed around in his skull - did he get the head signature for last weeks status report, did the team he sent out to sunset park come back with the blood samples, when were those blood samples due anyway, how pissed will the Clave be if I don't send them off within the week, how much will Raj's team hate me if I nag them again for it, would it be easier to just go out ourselves or is that putting Izzy and Jace in undue danger, how are they both doing anyway? - and sometimes it felt like his mind was chock full of stinging nettles, and every new thought rushing through his head was another painful barb prickling down the spine of his back and knotting his stomach with anxiety because no matter what there was always something else to be done and chances are he'll be getting in trouble for it whether it's done or not.

 _God_ , he thought to himself definitely not for the first time, _I am so lucky to have Magnus through this._

With all these straws breaking his back, Magnus was the proverbial blanket making his burdens just a little easier in any way he could: whether it be a listening ear, a touch or more recently just a calming presence, Magnus was always there.

Alec scrubbed his hand through his hair, tugging his shirt straight as he headed towards the doorway, seeing his jacket thrown across the couch and boots in a pile next to the door. He grabbed them by the laces, knocking them together as he stood causing flakes of dried mud to flutter down like ugly confetti, and dropped them next to the couch, shrugging on his jacket with one arm and knotting his laces with the other.

The shower hummed in the background.

.

"Isabelle's going to be ecstatic when you finally show up now." Magnus stepped into the living room a little warily, wearing a simple white linen shirt that already had a damp patch from his dripping hair, to find Alec cosied up on the sofa, two steaming mugs of coffee in front of him. The TV rattled out the soothing tones of David Attenborough's voice.

"You're right," Alec replied, eyes fixed on the screen and pretending Magnus hadn't spoken, "Nature documentaries are really underrated. This elephant's herd is really unstable, the male keeps stamping on his kids. I'm actually rooting for the matriarch to kick him out and run the herd herself."

"Just like the Kardashians, isn't it." Magnus sat next to Alec, watching him carefully.

Alec glanced back.

"I texted Isabelle. She said she can handle this morning herself, if you're alright with that."

Magnus raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "Yeah, like I wouldn't be alright with spending more time with you."

Alec grinned shyly, "Well, that's good. Also," he pointed at the mugs of coffee burning rings through the coffee table unnecessarily, "I made you coffee."

"A man of many talents."

Magnus leant against Alec's side, a few drips of shower water wetting Alec's shoulder as his arm came up automatically, wrapping around Magnus and pulling him closer.

"Right now, I just don't want to think." Alec spoke in a low voice, and Magnus reached up impulsively, pressing a kiss to the side of his head and murmuring, "Okay darling. Thinking is off the agenda for the day."

"Thanks."

The morning sunshine finally cracked through the fog wall and watery rays of spilled yellow filtered through and lit up the gloomy New York streets with a fragile morning glow.

 **I had to google 'what to call pack of elephants' for this. Apparently it's a 'parade' if you're feeling fancy but generally referred to as a herd, if you're ever on a game show and useless trivia is suddenly necessary.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! I don't know where I'm headed with this - is it gonna get a plot, is it just a little off the side story, an extended oneshot who knows, but leaving reviews certainty helps me figure it out - tell me what you want!**

 **Also thanks for reading you sweethearts you :***


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